This is a sponsored article and was made possible by PrivadoVPN. The actual contents and opinions are the sole views of the author who maintains editorial independence even when a post is sponsored.
This Time It’s Personal
PrivadoVPN is a VPN, or virtual private network, which masks your IP from prying eyes. If your IP address is visible, then your ISP and any other traffic-spying organizations can see where you are and what you’re up to. IP masking removes this insult to personal privacy and lets you browse and download without being observed. PrivadoVPN works as an app: you install it on your PC or handheld device, and once installed and up and running, it filters all incoming and outgoing data through the new virtual IP. Once activated, you can’t really tell it’s in operation and just use your computer as normal. Once installed, it invites you to take a virtual tour of the app, which I highly recommend you do right away, as it quickly and cleanly runs you through all the basics. There’s not much to it, and the tour is over in minutes, leaving you to be an expert in all the controls.
Virtual Privacy Now
PrivadoVPN is one of the easiest and nicest VPN or privacy software utilities I’ve used. Installation is simple and quick, and you don’t have to restart your machine or anything – it’s just ready. When you install the app, it sits in the system tray, or the hidden icons popup, and by clicking on it, you can modify your settings, changing which country your computer appears to be originating from with a mouse click. You probably won’t notice it’s up and running, as there are no speed hits in using a VPN. The reason for this is that VPNs merely mask your IP and don’t route your browsing through a chain of overseas servers like Tor does. The only thing you will notice is that websites will base your locale on the IP address they see, so prices will show up in Euros or Dollars or Pounds Sterling, depending on which country you have your IP set to. The service is optimized to allow for P2P and streaming with the same speed as you would ordinarily get from your native broadband provider. The service can be used to access streaming services – such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer – if you are in a region that does not have access to them or have access but are abroad and still need your fix of UK TV. In addition, the company has a zero-log policy, meaning it keeps no records of where you have been or what you did when you got there. This is easy for a Swiss company, which has very liberal privacy laws. There is a free option, and you get 10GB of free data transfer every month. This is so much better than the usual free options, as the app has built-in IP leak protection, so there’s no way anyone will find out your actual IP. The paid option is much better still, as you get full support. It’s more of a try-before-you-buy type of thing. Another feature I absolutely love is the kill switch. If you think any of your data is compromised or are being probed by an external server, you can flip the kill switch, and all traffic is automatically cut. That’s some piece of mind there, even if you rarely use it. I really like PrivadoVPN: it’s easy to install and use and seems very solid. The technology infrastructure is Swiss made, and like an expensive watch it just seems to run and not give you any problems. Because it’s an app and not a browser extension, it runs on anything you are running and uses the Internet seamlessly, without any configuration or settings or other twiddling about, apart from choosing where you’d like the Internet to believe you’re situated.
Summary
PrivadoVPN is a rock-solid choice for your personal VPN. It’s easy to use, even for beginners, and is pretty inexpensive to run, with the yearly subscription of $4.99 a month over the year. There is a monthly plan, too, which is $7.99 a month. It’s really not extortionate for the service they provide and represents really good value for a solid VPN with tech support and zero leaks.
